The Wrack

"Lepi" Love: A Butterfly Story

Robert and Rose Marie are avid lepidopterists, which is a fancy word for people who are enthusiastic about butterflies and moths. This couple's passion focuses on butterflies. Since 2007, they have been busy each year collecting information for the Maine Butterfly Survey.

Now that the butterfly survey has ended, they have turned their butterfly catching talents to producing butterfly checklists for natural areas. That is what brought them to the Wells Reserve. Robert is the primary netter and Rose Marie is the photographer.

Robert and Rose Marie have visited the reserve several times this summer and will continue into the fall, as long as butterflies are flitting. They are checking for butterflies listed in the Maine Butterfly Survey for this area, as well as those they find that are not on the state survey. Their goal is to photograph each type of butterfly found at the Wells Reserve and produce a butterfly pamphlet that would be available to the public. This would be a wonderful resource for easy identification while visiting the reserve trails.

The Wells Reserve has public programs focused on butterfly education including a Winged Jewels walk in the summer and a Monarch Rescue program in early fall. Check out other activities on the Wells Reserve calendar.